Era il mio Schiavo
by Gaxxy
Summary: For his seventeenth birthday Feliciano's grandfather took him to the slave-markets of Baserul. On that day Ludwig was bought into the Vargas' home – now bound to Feliciano in servitude. Little did he know exactly what that would mean. GerIta AU
1. Prologue

**Title:** Era il mio schiavo (He was my slave)  
><strong>Pairings:<strong> Italy/Germany Spain/Romano and others  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Fantasy/Romance  
><strong>Summary:<strong> For his seventeenth birthday Feliciano's grandfather took him to the slave-markets of Baserul. On that day Ludwig was bought into the Vargas' home – now bound to Feliciano in servitude. Little did he know exactly what that would mean.

_**Prologue**_

"Stay close to me. There are a lot of people here who would take full advantage of your relation to me." Callixtus murmured to his grandson as they exited the carriage. Feliciano simply nodded, glancing nervously around him as he bit at his lower lip. Sensing the unease, Callixtus grinned broadly and clapped Feliciano's shoulder good-naturedly. "But enough of that! Today marks the beginning of your manhood, Feli; just like your brother and every other man in our family we will pick out the best slave from the market to serve and protect you for the rest of your life! It's a a hefty responsibilty – so let's pick the best one for the job, all right?"

Although he wasn't entirely keen on the idea of slavery, Feliciano couldn't help but feel himself getting excited. As a member of the Vargas family, trust was a valued commodity that couldn't be risked. So three years ago, when Lovino became old enough to choose his companion, the two brothers (not that the older one would ever admit it) were thrilled to no longer be alone. Antonio had proved to be one of the best things to ever happen to Callixtus' grandsons, his cheerful nature providing a welcomed warmth into their lives.

The streets of Baserul echoed with shouts from the slavers and the bidders. Younger slaves sobbed and screamed, while rowdier individuals yelled and shrieked in vehement protests. Feliciano had to force himself not to look as his grandfather led him away from the main streets, towards a large square. The number of clients was far smaller; the assortment of collared and shoddily-clothed slaves was wider and in far better condition.

"_Majstar_ Vargas." A beautiful young woman approached the pair with a face as calm and expressionless as her voice. "You are here for his first slave?"

Callixtus smiled and boldly brought her hand to his lips. Feliciano had to hide a flinch at the flash of murderous rage he saw in the woman's eyes. "As hasty to get to business as ever, Natalia. It doesn't suit a woman of your unparalleled beauty." he crowed, allowing Natalia to take her hand back. Although she didn't bother with a verbal response, the glare she shot towards Callixtus would have terrified the boldest of criminals.

"Follow me, your grandson has many choice specimens to choose from today. We even have a good number of strong males from Megryna in the selection." Feliciano stopped talking, glancing over the assembled men and women while his grandfather spoke with Natalia about his choices. They all looked so grim and defeated. He had hoped to find another Antonio – someone who would grow into a good friend along with everything else. Someone whose company Feliciano could genuinely enjoy.

However today he found that the ones he didn't feel immense pity for, simply terrified him. Barbaric women who would sooner tear off a man's necessities than hold him close in comfort. Mountainous men who looked as if they could snap Feliciano in half with just a look. Faces ranged from cruel to emotionless; from soft and trembling to untrustworthy and scheming. Those that fell in between caused Feliciano the most worry – he just didn't know how many of them might be faking it. As a Vargas, he couldn't afford to make the wrong choice today. That would be like signing his own death warrant.

Callixtus broke him out of his musings by settling a hand on his shoulder. "Here we are, take your time. Remember what I told you, my boy, you'll know the right one when you see them." he told Feliciano with a kind smile, nudging him forward with the same hand as before. Even as he smiled back at his grandfather, Feliciano hesitated. His brain was screaming at him to run away, and his legs trembled with the effort it took not to give in to those instincts.

Slowly he began to walk in front of the first row of slaves, awkwardly looking over them. _Grandpa said I'd know when I saw the right one … but I don't even know what I'm looking for! _Feliciano bit lightly at the inside of his cheek to stop the pathetic whimper which threatened to tremble past his lips. He couldn't let on just how much some of these people scared him.

By the time he got to the third row, Feliciano had noticed hardly any of them met his gaze. Either they kept their eyes firmly fixed on their feet or they deliberately stared off into the distance and refused to acknowledge him. The ones who did meet his eye rekindled the urge to flee as far away as possible. These ones had leering smirks or their eyes would whisper silent challenges to Feliciano. He moved past these ones quicker than the rest – wanting absolutely nothing to do with any of them.

What if he didn't find the right one? It was unheard of for a Vargas to leave their first market without their slave. He could just hear Lovino now, his obscene vocabulary and scathing remarks almost bringing the youngest brother to tears even from his imagination.

As Feliciano shook his head to clear his thoughts he glanced a man back in the sixth row. Well, he was probably about the same age as Feliciano was. A tall, fair-skinned man with short blond hair and dark blue eyes. He was frowning and looking off to one side. The young Vargas didn't know how to explain it but he was certainly drawn to this individual. Something compelled Feliciano to approach this one, even if normally he would have avoided such an intimidating-looking person at all costs.

Was this what his grandfather had meant by knowing the right one?

Suddenly feeling a lot more at peace, Feliciano squared his shoulders and the first genuine smile of the day spread across his features. He weaved his way around with purpose, passing the fourth and fifth rows without so much as a glance until he came to stop next to the blond. Once again he faltered, what should he do now? After making such a scene about coming to this one, Feliciano feared he might end up looking like an absolute fool.

"What is your name?" he asked, looking the man over properly, now that he could have a closer look. Recent bruising littered pretty much all of his torso, coupled with faint scars and a few healing cuts.

For a moment the tall blond looked at Feliciano, debating whether to respond. It was a calculating look, filled with nothing but contemplation. "Ludwig." His accent was thick, clearly Megrynan. The voice was deep, with some gravel behind it. An Earthy voice. Well-suited to the more rugged language which was native to his homeland. Feliciano smiled and glanced back towards his grandfather, who was still preoccupied with Natalia.

Something about Ludwig felt right. The young Atyilan couldn't explain it, but he felt like Ludwig was here today specifically so that Feliciano could choose him. It wasn't an internal feeling, more like a tingling in the atmosphere between both of them. Considering how uncomfortable the other man seemed with Feliciano's gaze he assumed that Ludwig didn't feel it like he did. That was fine – he knew what his grandfather had been talking about now.

"_Nonno_! Miss Natalia!" Feliciano called, making his way to the end of the row so he could be seen. Sufficiently distracted, Callixtus switched his gaze over to his grandson with alarming speed. The grin morphed from lecherous to adoring faster than the blink of an eye. "I think I found him!"

Callixtus slung an arm around Natalia's shoulders. "Wonderful news! It took your brother hours of cursing and putting it off before he finally made his choice!" He waved over one of the silent guards who had been watching the events, ready in case they needed to strike. "Show him which one and I'll take a look, myself."

Moments later the guard stood in front of Callixtus, a chain in his hands which was attatched to Ludwig's wrists. "An excellent choice, _M__ajstar_ Vargas. We acquired him and his brother on our last excursion to Megryna. He's a strong one and in good health, if a bit stubborn. He caused some bother at first, but you'll be pleased to know he won't need much in the way of discipline, anymore. He's a quick learner, I'm sure you'll find him a good addition to your household." As Natalia spoke her voice never once even wavered in its monotone, she recited her practised words with ease and fixed Ludwig with a severe look, as if to warn him off trying to act up.

Ludwig's chain was handed over to Feliciano as Callixtus handed the gold owed to Natalia. Just as they turned to leave, a commotion broke out and one of the men Feliciano had passed in one of the earlier rows. Crimson eyes flashed with determination. His face was filled with intent. Ludwig watched the man with wide-eyed fear and familiarity. "_Bruder, was machst du? Holen Sie sich wieder in Einklang!_"

The pale individual smirked confidently as he dodged capture time after time. His speed and agility were phenomenal! "_Keine Chance Bruderlein_!" he crowed. As he ran he took hold of the necklace he wore and ripped it over his head. When he reached Ludwig he placed it firmly into the taller man's hand and gripped tightly at his wrist.

Feliciano hadn't thought it possible, but Ludwig's eyes widened further. Callixtus held out a hand to halt the guards from drawing their weapons. "_Aber ... Opa gab, dass auf Sie! Du kannst nicht ..._"

"_Ich kann und werde. Noch nicht einmal versuchen, mich zu stoppen Westen, weil ich nicht hören._" The albino smirked and curled Ludwig's fingers around the necklace. "_Es bringt Sie zurück zu mir, so wage es nicht zu verlieren! Verstehen Sie?_" Ludwig bit at his lower lip slightly before nodding and looking towards the ground. "_Toll!_" With that he thumped a curled fist firmly (but not roughly) against Ludwig's collarbone and turned to face Feliciano with a malicious gleam in his eye. "Enjoy him while you can, pretty-boy. Just remember one thing – my _bruderlein _will never belong to you, not in spirit or in mind. You've temporarily bought his body, but it won't stay yours for long! He'll find his way back to me, and you won't be able to stop him!"

"_Chopić!_"Natalia growled and struck the albino across the face, grabbing hold of his collar and sending a firm glare towards the guards. "_Vaźmicie jaho ŭnutr, i ja budu mieć z im pazniej!_" She watched the guards forcefully drag the Megrynan inside the building behind the rows. "I must apologise, despite this ones demeanour his brother has been exceedingly difficult to deal with. If you will excuse me, _Majstar _Vargas, you are not my only clientelle and I need to remind that one of his place." Natalia said curtly before striding off in the same direction Ludwig's brother had been taken.

* * *

><p>AN: First multichapter GerIta. For anyone who has read Unter Dem Licht Des Vollmonds, I'll be keeping my anagrams for different places in this world but it isn't the same setting as the other story. Normally my prologues aren't anywhere near as long as this but I felt it was necessary for this particular story. I will try and keep updating this as much as I do with Vollmonds but as it is nearing its end that one will be my priority at first. Once it's finished I will concentrate more on this one!

Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

P.S. I used google translate so these might be a little bit off. Hopefully the other chapters won't need so many translations.

**Translations**

_Majstar -_ 'Master' Belarussian

_nonno - '_Grandpa' Italian

_Bruder, was machst du? Holen Sie sich wieder in Einklang_ - 'Brother, what are you doing? Get back in line!' German

_Keine Chance Bruderlein_ - 'No chance little brother' German

_Aber ... Opa gab, dass auf Sie! Du kannst nicht -_ 'But ... Grandfather gave that to you! You can't ' German

_Ich kann und werde. Noch nicht einmal versuchen, mich zu stoppen Westen, weil ich nicht hören - _'I can and will. Do not even try to stop me west, because I will not listen' German

_Es bringt Sie zurück zu mir, so wage es nicht zu verlieren! Verstehen Sie?_ - 'This will bring you back to me, so don't you dare lose it! Understand?' German

_Chopić_ - 'Enough' Belarussian

_Vaźmicie jaho ŭnutr, i ja budu mieć z im pazniej_ - 'Take him inside. I will deal with him later.' Belarussian


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

The Vargas family held high status – they were well-known throughout at least three countries, all of which highly valued the family. Often Callixtus or Lovino would be contacted by high-ranking individuals seeking guidance or asking permission. Sometimes Callixtus would leave for days at a time, called away for important business – leaving his grandsons in the care of Ludwig and Antonio. The family owned a vast amount of land on which they lived, and were known to hold a vast fortune.

Despite all this their home was simple, a bit larger than most Ludwig had been accustomed to but still cosy and welcoming. As such both he and Antonio were required to sleep in the same room as their respective charges. This had been an uncomfortable realisation to begin with! The youngest Vargas had taken him away from his brother – binding him to an unknown period of time in servitude! Ludwig would have preferred to have as little contact with the boy as humanly possible. Especially after he discovered Feliciano's overly affectionate nature. There had been days when Ludwig had even woken up to find the youngest Vargas had migrated into the same bed as him during the course of the night!

On mornings like that his first instincts were to yell and strike, but Ludwig was a slave to the family. He didn't yet know what the repercussions of beating his master to a pulp might be – and he didn't want to find out either. Callixtus and Antonio may seem good-natured but he had no idea just what they were hiding underneath the act.

So for a year he had followed Feliciano around like a dog, barely speaking without being prompted. Ludwig set about any tasks given without complaint, getting them done to the best of his abilities. He endured hours on end of mindless babble and frequently being accosted by touches from his young master. It's only temporary. He would tell himself. Ludwig wouldn't be here forever, the chain around his neck was the symbol of his eventual freedom. Even if Ludwig didn't manage to leave the household on his own, then Gilbert would find a way to get to him. As soon as they were reunited nothing would keep them back. At least that's what the Megyrnan kept telling himself.

When not being suffocated by Feliciano Vargas, Ludwig still never got time to himself. His supposed free time was spent with Antonio learning his numerous duties and undergoing combat training. Apparently there was a lot more to serving the Vargas family than he had initially assumed.

Having been bought for Feliciano, Ludwig was no mere thrall. He was to act as a bodyguard and a companion. He was expected learn fluency in a variety of languages, the inner workings of both business and politics – in order to aid Feliciano when he assumed the duties applied to the rest of his family. He had to develop a quickness of mind in order to get the boy out of an unlimited number of dangerous situations. Ludwig had to learn to cook and limit his cleaning to only Feliciano's quarters. He had to respect the other slaves and not accidentally tread into their domains. Antonio was quite easy-going about it, but Gaia, Callixtus' slave wasted no time in putting him back into place.

While Ludwig was already an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant, he was expected to reach that level and higher with all forms of weaponry. He had to learn different fighting methods from the East; from the West; the South and the North. He was expected to be a fighter unparallelled by any but his fellow servants. On top of all that he had to develop the patience of a saint if he was to be babysitting Feliciano for Gods knew how long.

Then were the boundaries, the forest Northwest of the household was strictly off-limits. Ludwig had to ensure Feliciano never wandered in there. Animals were forbidden, aside from the horses which were used for riding. Luckily it was someone else's job to look after those beasts. Even though he only really had to answer to Feliciano, Ludwig was not allowed to defend himself or refuse the other members of the family. Something which Lovino liked to exploit, after taking an immediate and loud dislike to Ludwig.

With a tiny smirk Ludwig found himself imagining just how unable to cope with this situation his older brother would be. Gilbert couldn't stand rules and boundaries – he was far too much of a free spirit for this kind of thing. He wasn't worried about his brother, Gilbert could look after himself; he was crafty and despite the way he acted calculatingly intelligent. Gilbert would be fine. It was a good thing Feliciano had chosen him instead, Ludwig thrived under structure and guidelines.

"_Amigo_!" Ludwig looked up from one of the study books he had to read through, setting it down as he saw Antonio waving him over. The Napsiard had been appointed as Ludwig's main 'tutor' until he found his own way. "Gaia's in the kitchen already, we have something new to show you." Antonio explained, patting Ludwig's arm and leading him on. "You won't need to worry about this one too often, but it's something we need to do for the bosses once a year, okay?"

"And what exactly would this be?" Ludwig asked warily, he wasn't sure he liked being told about something like this so abruptly. It hadn't even been alluded to before and he didn't like it. There was too much secrecy around it.

Antonio just chuckled and slapped him good-naturedly on the back. "We'll show you, don't worry! Relax a little, _gran hombre_." Ludwig frowned but fell quiet again and allowed himself to be led downstairs into the basement-kitchen area. Gaia was waiting there already, nodding at the two boys in greeting.

"First of all let me congratulate you on lasting your first year. Luckily young Feliciano has thus far been out of danger, but I must warn you that this will all change after tonight." her voice was calm, harbouring a tender and apologetic note which Ludwig wasn't sure he liked. "You've come a long way Ludwig and let me say that we're both proud of the progress you have made here. Now come with me, I'll show you the final duty we must perform for our masters."

He glanced at Antonio who only nodded encouragingly, giving him a slight push to get the tall blond moving. Gaia led him into the storage room. Until now Ludwig hadn't been allowed in here. Whatever they were about to do must be related to why he had been forbidden from coming in here. Gaia led him right to the back of the room and gingerly opened a small chest. Glancing back at him she beckoned Ludwig forward. "This is the Vargas family's best-kept secret. Every year we expose them to this, after their slave has been with them for a year. That way we know they will be kept safe afterwards."

"What are you talking about? None of this is making sense!" Ludwig protested, keeping his voice down so as not to aggravate the formidable and beautiful woman. She shook her head and just motioned for him to move forward again, telling him to just come and look.

Ludwig hesitated before creeping forward and peering into the open chest. He froze instantly at the sight of a golden curved horn, spiralling from the sawn-off base into a dangerous point. "Beautiful is it not?" the young man could only nod, dumb-struck as he stared at it. The creatures meant to harbour such things weren't supposed to exist! So how was it sitting there so demurely in that cushioned chest? "The Vargas family is an ancient line, Ludwig. Many things that have been forgotten by the rest of the world are still very much reality for them. Every year we powder one of these horns and mix it into the family's evening meal. This includes our own – we cannot serve them to our fullest without doing so."

"I don't believe this!" Ludwig shook his head defiantly. "These things don't exist... this is some kind of initiation! You and Antonio are setting me up aren't you?"

Gaia silenced him, clamping a surprisingly strong hand over his mouth. "Calm down, _n__é__a kai_. Just go along with us for now. Tonight you will see just how real this all is. Antonio and I will take you to procure next year's horn after they have eaten. Agreed?" It may have been phrased like a question but the stern look in her eyes and the firmness of her voice really left Ludwig no choice but to comply to her will. So he simply nodded and Gaia removed her hand from his face "Good, now come help us prepare dinner."

"Just answer me something first." Gaia looked at him and gave a small nod, inviting him to continue. "Does Feliciano know about all of this? Or are we about to throw him into something he's entirely unprepared for?"

The woman smiled and laid a hand on Ludwig's shoulder, handing him the horn at the same time. "Don't worry. He's always been made aware of this. Callixtus has made sure of that. Nothing will happen that he hasn't been made ready for." Ludwig nodded his acceptance. That put him slightly more at ease – he didn't think he could deal with a confused and panicking Feliciano on top of everything else.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~

"_Titano_!" Feliciano waved Ludwig over as he set down the meal in front of the young Atyilan. Vaguely Ludwig wondered just how he had earned that nickname from his master. Did slaves normally receive such things from their masters? Ludwig wasn't positive since Feliciano had been his first, but he was sure that it wasn't exactly common practise. "Would you dine in here with us tonight?"

Ludwig hesitated before Callixtus cut across any reply he might have had. "Not tonight, I'm afraid. Ludwig here and the others have things to get on with this evening. Perhaps another day, all right?" Feliciano visibly deflated but nodded with a sighed '_si, nonno._' Callixtus nodded towards Ludwig, signalling for him to get back to the others.

Once back downstairs, Antonio handed Ludwig a bowl. Cautiously the Megrynan sniffed the contents it seemed normal even though he had witnessed the adding of the extra ingredient. "Don't worry, the powdered horn is tasteless. You won't notice any difference!" the Napsiard assured him brightly, tucking into his own portion of the meal. Ludwig glanced at it once more before taking a deep breath and starting to eat. He was surprised to find that Antonio was right, he couldn't taste a difference at all. It was strange to say the least.

As soon as they were done, the trio slipped out the back door and went towards the forest. "Arthur will be waiting for us in the clearing." Antonio informed him. "He'll likely be irritable, but just ignore him for the most part – it's just because of the time of year and he'll be in a bit of pain." Ludwig considered asking just who this Arthur was but decided to keep his mouth shut. He would find out soon enough, and if today's events were anything to go by then he wouldn't believe what Antonio told him anyway. Not until he saw it with his own eyes.

For the most part they walked in silence, Gaia taking the lead through the trees. After nearly an hour of walking they reached the clearing Antonio had mentioned.

Sure enough, sitting with his back to them was a man with messy blond hair. "It's about time!" he snapped irritably. "I've been waiting for hours, you wankers!" the man rounded on them and Ludwig staggered backwards at the sight which met his eyes.

'Arthur' wasn't a man like Ludwig had first believed. His skin was fair, and he had bushy eyebrows. His bare torso led downwards to a pair of white horse's legs. A blond tail swished impatiently and his hooves were a pale golden colour. But the thing which drew Ludwig's attention most was the proud golden horn spiralling out from the centre of Arthur's forehead, pointing towards the night sky. It was exactly the same as the one they had powdered and eaten mere hours before.

* * *

><p>AN: I know this took a while to get out, but I am just concentrating a bit more on Unter Dem Licht Des Vollmonds until it's finished/ That shouldn't be too much longer so I can concentrate on this story afterwards. Anyway, I quite enjoyed this, for the most part the story _will_ be in Feliciano's point of view, but the first little bit is in Ludwig's just so the situation can get explained through action rather than too much dialogue.

Gaia, for those of you who don't know, is the name I like to use for Ancient Greece. I made her Callixtus' 'slave' instead of Germania because I needed a woman to act as the mother of the household, and because the reason Gilbert had the Iron Cross is because it was inherited from his grandfather - Germania or Bernhardt.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you thought! Now I'll just give you the translations and let you get on your way. Thanks for reading!

_**Translations**_

_Amigo – _Friend (Spanish)

_Gran hombre – _Big guy (Spanish)

_Né__a kai – _Young one (Greek)

_Titano –_ Titan (Italian)

_Si nonno –_ Yes grandfather (Italian)


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